Randy and the rest of the gang were looking for all the things that they found out were needed to face off against a witch. Thanks to the information of the books they'd read, they were able to make a short but useful list of things that could be used against the witch. They didn't know what she could do with her full power, but with these items they'd have a chance. On the plus side, they already knew where and when Revolta would appear next. They had remained in the library and were preparing for what would be their next face off against the old hag of a witch.
"Alright, let's go over the supplies." Heidi said, pulling out a list. "Salt?"
"Right here, do you think it matters if it's pink?" Elsa asked, holding up a can of salt.
"I don't think that it'll change anything. It is salt at the end of the day." Randy shrugged.
"Next up, holy relics or symbols?" Heidi asked, looking at her list.
"We got a rosary, a star of David, a buddhist necklace, and a large cross." Phanty recounted, showing off all the things with Klot's help. "In case anyone asks, we just found these laying around the manor."
"Did you steal them?" Randy asked with a knowing raised eyebrow.
"We prefer the term 'borrowed without permission'." Phanty replied. "We will bring them back to the owners once we're done."
Randy rolled his eyes at the actions of the overactive ghost. But he let it slide since they did need every trick they could pull against the witch. He went in unprepared the last time, and he was not going to be caught with his pants down this time.
"Blessed blade of Horus?" Heidi asked, slightly confused.
"Check." Randy said, pulling out the small blade that he'd gotten from his last time travelling adventure.
"Deadite slaying blade?" Heidi asked.
"Double check." Randy replied, pulling out the ancient blade. "Pretty sure that these two will make Revolta think twice before going to the school again."
"Nice, dude." Howard said.
"Crossbow? And bolts?" Heidi asked.
"Double check, baby!" Howard said, pulling out his crossbow with a packet of bolts ready to fire. "Loaded and ready for action!"
Howard was all ready for the witch this time. He had gotten the crossbow back from his house when Phanty went out to collect the items that they were missing. The heavy set boy was pumped for action, wanting to put an end to this early before school started. …Which caused him to accidentally pull the trigger.
The bolt flew through the room, embedding itself on the door of the library just as Lady Kryptina entered the room.
"Who shot that?" Lady Kryptina asked, gesturing towards the bolt.
Howard quickly hid the crossbow behind his back.
"I've got no idea." Howard replied. "There must've been some crazy wind inside here. That thing just flew out of nowhere like a bat out of hell. Sorry, is that offensive?"
Randy covered Howard's mouth before he gave the oldest vampire reason to bite him.
"Lady Kryptina, what can I- we do for you?" Gothetta asked.
"Well, I've got some good news. I have been able to get in contact with my fellow teachers back home and Professor Oxblood had something on the witch, Revolta." Lady Kryptina said. "It would seem that the vampire council erased a lot of the information they had on her. However, what they did leave was a record of who she was and how she was a master of dark magic during the beginning of the Bronze Age." she explained, pulling out a notepad.
"Well, that is at least something more that we could use." Oskar said.
"Did they mention anything else?" Elsa asked.
Lady Kryptina flipped through the notes, until she found what she was looking for.
"According to the record, she was a specialist in plant, hypnotic magic, astral manipulation, and reanimation. She constantly demanded that humans would submit to monsters, most of the sane people of the time decided to not pay attention to her." Lady Kryptina recounted.
"So they just let her run around with no supervision?" Randy asked.
"As soon as she became more of a threat and her behavior became more sporadic, several monsters leaked the location to the humans to 'take care' of her." Lady Kryptina finished.
"I like how you made it sound like a mob hit." Phantasma said.
"Thank you. I watched a couple of films the other night. The good news is that we now know her weaknesses and how to face her." Lady Kryptina said.
"Let me guess. Fire. …Lots of it?" Howard guessed.
"Yes Mr. Weinerman, fire would be the most effective. But you should also cover your eyes to prevent any form of hypnosis and be prepared for any form of reanimated or revived beings that she might bring to aid her." Lady Kryptina replied.
"Like cables and pipes? Already dealt with them, I think I've got an idea of what she could throw at us." Randy said.
Just then, he noticed that a red light was blinking from inside his hoodie. Randy pulled out the Ninjanomicon, wondering what it could be looking to tell him.
"Sorry guys, got to dip out for a sec. Be right back." Randy said, opening the Ninjanomicon.
Randy's mind schlooped into the ancient book of ninja knowledge, causing his body to go limp. However, before he could collapse on the floor, Elsa caught his body.
"I still don't know how you guys aren't freaked out by that." Heidi remarked.
"Trust me sis, by this time next week you'll get used to it. But don't bother drawing on his face, I've tried and he always wakes up before I can draw the mustache." Howard commented.
"Have you ever drawn a mustache on anyone without getting caught?" Gothetta asked.
"I can be pretty sneaky when I want to." Howard replied, putting himself in a better light.
Gothetta merely turned to Heidi, Phanty and Elsa, who only gave her a shrug.
Meanwhile, Randy was sliding down an ancient scroll. He spotted the dark forest where Rosalyn was frantically pacing from side to side. He could see that she was muttering something under her breath. He had only known Rosalyn for a short time compared to his master and his friend, but this was the first time he'd ever seen her this worried. Randy landed in the dark forest before walking towards her.
"Rosalyn, is everything okay?" Randy asked.
"NO! Everything is NOT okay!" Rosalyn snapped, grabbing hold of Randy's shoulders. "Someone has found her! We have to get to her before anyone else does!" She added, shaking Randy like a ragdoll.
"Rosalyn. Calm. Down! Please. Stop!" Randy said amidst all the shaking.
Rosalyn released her hold on Randy, causing him to tumble like he'd just gotten off of a roller coaster.
"Sorry about that, Randy. I'm just really stressed out." Rosalyn sighed.
"Yeah, I've never seen you like this. I always thought your default moods were flirty, sassy and mentorly. What's going on that's got you so wound up?" Randy asked, getting his bearings.
Rosalyn took a deep breath before exhaling all the air. She straightened herself out with a couple more deep breaths for good measure. She was indeed rattled. It was like she had been dunked into a tub filled with ice, bubbles and garlic. It was a strange sensation that alerted her of something she hoped wouldn't happen. She looked at Randy with an equally concerned face.
"I fear that someone has found the resting place of Sibella Tepes." Rosalyn said.
"Sibella? As in the daughter of Dracula?! She's here?!" Randy asked, looking around as though the daughter of the vampire king was in the Ninjanomicon.
"Not in the book, relax… But she is in the city." Rosalyn admitted. "I asked my allies to hide her here because it was as far away as we could get her from the Vampire Council. She currently resides within a glass coffin. Where in the city, I'm not entirely sure. To add a layer of protection I wasn't supposed to know where specifically she would be stashed away." she explained, waving her hand at the shadows.
Randy looked at where Rosalyn was pointing to. He saw the scribbles of the book turning and taking the form of a young woman resting inside a coffin.
"So how am I supposed to find her?" Randy asked.
"Before I was trapped inside my other book, Creep told me that she was laid to rest under the place where the cross never moves and vampires never set foot in." Rosalyn said.
"The place where the cross never moves and vampires never set foot in? That could mean a lot of things!" Randy replied.
"Be that as it may, you need to find her and move her to a safer place." Rosalyn said, sending Randy back to his body. "And don't think you'll get away with that remark about my default mood!"
Randy's eyes snapped open. He blinked, feeling his head being on top of a pair of legs. He looked up to see Gothetta watching over him.
"Hey there." Randy said, greeting his girlfriend.
"Hey yourself. Had a nice nap?" Gothetta asked.
"It was a little short but I can't say that it was relaxing." Randy replied. "But there's something I have to go do." He added, getting up from Gothetta's lap.
"Where are you going, Cunningham?" Howard asked.
"Rosalyn just told me that the daughter of Dracula is in the city." Randy replied.
"What?!" Everyone asked.
"Dracula's daughter is here? How?" Lady Kryptina asked.
"A friend of Rosalyn brought her here, sealed away from the world. I'm not thrilled about it either, but she asked me to get her out of whatever danger might come after her." Randy explained. "She said that she was buried and hidden 'where the cross never moves and vampires never set foot.' Whatever that means."
"Where the cross never moves?" Elsa asked.
"Where 'vampires never set foot'? That's odd, we can set foot almost everywhere." Gothetta commented. "Are you sure that's what she said?"
"That's what she was told. Vampires were once believed to be unable to step on hallowed ground. Like holy places?" Randy answered.
"Yes, yes, that was an old superstition that humans made after a few years. But we can step into any place that was meant to be hallowed, like graveyards or churches." Lady Kryptina explained.
Randy perked up at that sentence. He remembered that churches were a good place to keep vampires away, according to films and other stories. If that were the case, then he would have to go straight to the church. But that raised another question in his mind. He wondered where this church would be. Randy wasn't a very religious person, so he didn't know where he could find the particular church where Dracula's daughter might be hidden.
"Graveyards are constantly opened up so those are out, so that leaves churches but it has to be a very old one." Randy guessed.
"The only church that could be that old in Norrisville is… the one on Samson Avenue. That church has been there for almost two hundred years." Heidi said.
"Then that's where we'll find her. Got to go." Randy said, pulling out his mask. "Howard, you coming?"
"Yeah, I'll go. Better than staying here and reading books." Howard replied, catching up to Randy.
"Be careful you two." Gothetta said.
"We will." Randy replied as the two friends walked out of the library.
Randy and Howard swung through the night streets, using Randy's scarf as a grappling hook to move at top speed. The night air was a welcoming feeling to the two high school students after such a long day. It was calm but easily refreshing for them.
"You know, we really need to find a better way to get places." Howard said.
"What are you talking about? I'm doing all the work." The Ninja replied. "You're just literally hanging on to me."
"Have you seen how this looks? It is not bruce at all! I look like one of those dames being rescued by a superhero." Howard pointed out.
It was true. Howard was hanging on to the Ninja's shoulder while he was swinging with his scarf.
"Okay, you have a point. But it's not like I can conjure up a car or even a scooter out of thin air." Ninja replied. "Where would I even get my hands on one of those?"
"I don't know, doesn't that chick in Paris always pull out something out of thin air to save the day. Couldn't you do that?" Howard asked. "You started off before her anyway."
"I-" the ninja of Norrisville began before he felt his phone vibrating in his pocket.
The Ninja landed with Howard across the street from Samson Avenue. He pulled out his phone, seeing that his mom was calling him. He quickly answered the call.
"Hey mom, what's up?" The Ninja asked.
"'What's up?!' I'll tell you what's up, young man! I haven't heard from you all day long and now it's close to 10 o'clock at night! Where are you?!" Elizabeth asked.
Randy looked at his phone, checking the time. He gulped at the time. He rarely got an earful from his mom but when he did he was almost always left with a ringing in his ears. He needed to come up with an excuse before he got grounded for the rest of the summer and the school year.
"Um, well you see, mom, I-" Randy began, only for Howard to snatch the phone from him.
"Hey, Mrs. Cunningham. Howard here. Sorry about the whole not calling you thing, but his girlfriend asked him to help her out with some chores that she had to do. You know Randy, he can't say no to her." Howard explained. "You know how we guys are. A pair of boobs and our brains go out the window."
"Hey!" Randy snapped.
"Howard, put Randy back on." Elizabeth said.
Howard did as Randy's mother asked. He handed Randy his phone, believing that he had already covered for them.
"Hey mom." Randy answered.
"Randy, is what Howard said true? Have you been helping Gothetta and her classmates with an assignment?" Elizabeth asked.
Randy gulped, he'd have to word his answer in a way that would sound believable. He took a deep breath before answering his mom's question.
"Yeah, she had to do a report on the story of any and all religious spots in the city and the way they are perceived today." Randy said. "I know it is late but we honestly lost track of time."
Elizabeth stayed silent.
Randy dreaded the idea that his lie had been seen through. He knew that lying to her wasn't a good idea, but what teenager didn't lie from time to time to their parents. He just hoped that he could find a way to lie his way out of this.
"Randy, I know that this is your first serious relationship but you shouldn't do everything Gothetta asks of you. You can't just stay waiting on her hand and foot, day and night. You have your own life. You need a break from time to time. You're not Superman." Elizabeth explained.
"Yeah, don't worry, mom, I'm taking it easy." Randy replied, sheepishly scratching the back of his head.
"Just don't overdo it. I know that she'll be leaving soon, but try not to burn yourself out." Elizabeth said.
"I won't mom, I'll be back home soon." Randy said.
"Be sure to call me if you need to get picked up. Have fun." Elizabeth said before hanging up the call.
Randy let out a sigh of relief.
"That was too close. We need to get Sibella and go back before my mom gets even more concerned." Randy said, putting his phone away.
"Then let's do this! Mostly because I'm really hungry." Howard agreed as they jumped to the church.
The church looked like your standard old Catholic church with a single bell tower with large wooden doors and a large circular stained glass window in the front. A pair of gargoyles laid side-by-side to the old weathered grey cross, glaring at the outside like a pair of guard dogs. The symbols of crosses and saints adorned the entrance in an arc above the wooden doors like those you'd find in a European city.
Howard pushed the door to no avail.
"Must be closed. I thought that these places were always open to everyone." Howard shrugged. "So much for being kind to your neighbor."
"Howard." Randy said, pulling the door open. "It's a pull." He added, stepping inside.
"Lucky guess." Howard grumbled.
Randy and Howard stepped into the large church. They looked around, but only saw the empty pews of the church, the candles having been blown out, and the altar at the end of the room. They looked at the large tiled cross on the floor of the church. They hoped to hear something, but the building was silent. They couldn't even hear a mouse scurrying around the church, but they couldn't hear anything.
"So where would you hide a vampire princess in a house meant for worship?" Howard asked, looking around the silent graveyard that was the church.
"It wouldn't be where everyone could see her. But a place where you'd be able to keep an eye on her. The key must be in what Rosalyn told me." Randy said. "The second part got us to this place, the first part can tell us where she is in."
"What was it again? 'Under the cross' or something?" Howard asked.
"Yeah, but it could be just about any cross here." Randy said, looking around the church.
Randy looked around in hopes for a single clue. He walked on top of the tiled floor. He then stepped on something that made him stop. He lifted his foot and spotted a tile that didn't match any of the others. Randy knelt down to the floor to inspect it. The Ninja of Norrisville examined the square tile with care.
The tile was adorned with a series of small flowers colored red like a rose and in the center there was a crescent moon. But the flowers made a silhouette that resembled a bat.
"Hey Howard, what does this look like to you?" Randy asked.
"Looks like a bat with a moon in the middle." Howard pointed out, looking at the tile. "Kinda weird though."
"Exactly." Randy agreed, pressing the tile.
The tile sprung up, causing the two high school students to jump back, pulling out their weapons ready for any traps to pop out to kill them.
"That was unexpected." Howard remarked.
The floor beneath their feet started to shake. It moved open, revealing a hidden staircase that went down to a hidden lower level. The air underneath the floor flew up into the room, carrying a dark old humid smell that caused the two teenagers to cover their faces. The stairs that spiraled down to the lower level were made out of black humid stone that gave off the idea that one misstep could cause a slip into a dark void. There were no lights to show the way down to the lower level of the church, which meant that whoever made the trip down would have to carry something to light their way.
"You really wanna go down there?" Howard asked.
Randy lit up his Tengu sword.
"We are already here." Randy replied, slowly walking down the staircase.
"Fine, but if this princess drinks my blood and turns me into a vampire or ghoul, I'm haunting you first." Howard groaned, walking behind his friend.
Randy and Howard walked down the steps, being only illuminated by the Ninja's sword. They kept their hands on the wall next to them in hopes of not slipping down to the bottom. As they walked down, they wondered how far they'd gone and where exactly would they arrive when they made it down. Would they meet a crypt filled with cobwebs and dust? Or would they find a garden of flowers with scattered skeletons? Or a single glass coffin surrounded by golden crosses? Randy and Howard could each take a guess and it would still be fifty-fifty.
"How far down are we?" Howard asked.
"I think we're two floors down." Randy replied, as his fire sword illuminated the last step. "And we just reached the bottom."
Randy and Howard reached the bottom of the stairs. The room they were in was a lot less humid than the staircase, the air was dry and there was a current that made the feel of it well maintained. They looked around the room for a switch or a lever to turn on the lights of the room, but they had no luck.
"I can't see my own hand here, Cunningham. What's in this place?" Howard asked.
Randy looked around, hoping to see something in the darkness. He caught sight of something reflecting the light of his sword.
"Howard, shoot that thing." Randy instructed, gesturing to the reflection.
Howard spotted what Randy was talking about and fired a bolt.
The bolt struck the reflective surface, causing it to spin.
The reflective surface spun in place before stopping in place. The surface was struck by a beam of light, reflecting it across the room the two high schoolers were in.
The room was now illuminated by moonlight coming down from a hidden skylight. The light bounced off a circular silver mirror and bounced off six other mirrors around the room. The room's floor was littered with purple flowers that gave off a calming feeling to those that set foot amongst them. In the middle of the room there was a glass coffin with a white mattress and a small tree springing from behind it like a mother's hand covering the eyes of her child with her hand. And within the coffin, laid the sleeping princess, Sibella Tepes.
"Guess that's what's been underneath the church this whole time." Randy said, sheathing his sword back into his costume.
"Wow, wouldn't mind sleeping here for cheese knows how long." Howard pointed out.
"Don't get too attached to it, Howard. That's the daughter of Dracula, things could get very dangerous." Randy warned his friend, pulling out two Kali sticks. "We must be careful now or else we'll have to run like cheese."
"And me without garlic." Howard pointed out as they walked towards the glass coffin.
They carefully stepped through the flowers, making their way to the coffin in hopes of not triggering a trap. Randy and Howard soon stood face to face with the glass coffin and the one that slept inside it. Their jaws dropped at the sight of her.
Sibella's creamy and flawless form and curvy body made them both question their eyes.
"Wow, she's a knock out blood sucker. How come all the monster girls we meet are curvy and sexy as heck?" Howard asked. "Hasn't she been stuck down here all this time? She should be skin and bones, not a hot damn mistress of the night."
"We really need to get you a girlfriend, dude." Randy replied, looking at the coffin and the young woman inside it. "She must have inherited some pretty good genes to last this long, or it could be a side effect of the spell that's kept her asleep."
"Let's just hope that she isn't the least bit thirsty. I don't want to be her first meal." Howard said.
Randy couldn't blame his friend's weariness. He wasn't all that sure about getting Sibella out of her little glass box. There was a good chance that she was just like her old man, but also that she wouldn't be. He knew that he had to at least hide her somewhere else, and for that they needed to move her.
"We'll take her back to the manor and decide what to do with her then." Randy said. "Let's just not bleed or get near her mouth."
"Yeah, waking one ancient vampire was enough for me." Howard agreed.
"Then allow me to awaken her!"
Randy and Howard turned to see that they weren't the only ones there. Their eyes widen at the sight of Revolta at the other end of the room.
Revolta fired a blast of dark magic their way, forcing the two friends to duck behind the coffin.
"I take it that we didn't lock the door behind us." Howard mentioned.
"Sadly, no." Randy replied. "Try to get Sibella out of her coffin and out of here. I'll distract the witch." He instructed before jumping into the fray with the two Kali sticks in his hands.
"Sure, leave me the hot sleeping vampire princess… Hang on. I just hit the jackpot!" Howard said in realization. "Don't worry, Ninja. I've got this."
Howard began rifling and looking around the glass coffin, looking for a way to open it. He tried opening it but it wouldn't budge. He pulled out one of his bolts and lodged it into one of the small openings, causing the coffin to open slightly.
"I really hope you are worth it lady. We are not spending the last of our summer days rescuing you for nothing." Howard muttered.
Randy jumped and ducked under the attacks that Revolta was throwing at him. He swung his Kali sticks, blocking the attacks whenever he couldn't avoid them. He appeared in front of Revolta, pushing her back with the swing of his sticks. He spun and landed a kick to her chest, sending her back.
"You won't have her!" Randy stated, holding up his Kali sticks in a defensive stance.
"Oh, it isn't just me you need to worry about, Red Scarf." Revolta cackled, pulling out a green orb. "Awaken young princess. Heiress of Dracula, be freed from your slumber and let your hunger drive you mad! Awaken princess of all vampires!"
Revolta flung the orb at the glass coffin.
"Howard, get away from the coffin!" Randy warned.
Howard jumped back just as the orb shattered on the coffin.
A dark, swampy smoke filtered through the nooks and crannies of the coffin. It went into Sibella's nose.
Sibella's eyes snapped open with bloodshot eyes. She broke through the glass coffin, standing up and snarling like a rabid beast. Her eyes landed on Randy. She bared her fangs at him while Revolta snickered behind him.
"I really hate it when I'm right." Howard muttered, pulling up his crossbow.